Dr. Sahni's Homoeopathy Clinic.com

First Aid - Artificial Respiration

Victims of electrical shocks, drowning, gas poisoning
or choking have difficulty in breathing and may stop breathing
altogether. Artificial respiration could save their lives. Since most
people die within 6 minutes after they stop breathing, artificial
respiration should begin as soon as possible after the breathing
difficulty is noticed.

Call for Emergency Services.

Methods of Artificial Respiration

The are three methods of artificial respiration:

Mouth-to-mouth/ Mouth-to-nose

Chest pressure arm lift (Silvester)

Back pressure arm lift (Holger-Nielsen)

The most practical method is the mouth-to-mouth/nose
method.

Step 1: Evaluation

Check for responsiveness of the victim.

Call for help.

Position the unconscious casualty so that he is
lying on his back and on a firm surface. If the casualty is lying on
his chest (prone position), cautiously roll the casualty as a unit so
that his body does not twist (which may further complicate a neck,
back or spinal injury).

Follow the following steps for rolling the victim:

Straighten the casualty's legs. Take the
casualty's arm that is nearest to you and move it so that it is
straight and above his head. Repeat procedure for the other arm.

Kneel beside the casualty with your
knees near his shoulders (leave space to roll his body). Place one
hand behind his head and neck for support. With your other hand,
grasp the casualty under his far arm (See Figure above).

Roll the casualty toward you using a
steady and even pull. His head and neck should stay in line with
his back.

Return the casualty's arms to his side.
Straighten his legs. Reposition yourself so that you are now
kneeling at the level of the casualty's shoulders. However, if a
neck injury is suspected, and the jaw thrust will be used, kneel
at the casualty's head, looking toward his feet.

Step 2: Opening
the Airway-Unconscious and Not Breathing Casualty

If
there is any foreign matter visible in the victim's mouth, wipe it
quickly with your fingers or cloth wrapped around your fingers.

Tilt the Head back so the
chin is pointing upwards. The victim should be flat on his back.
Pull or push the jaw into a jutting out position for removal of
obstruction of the airway by moving the base of tongue away from
back of throat (See figure below).

Open your mouth wide and
place it tightly over the victim's mouth. At the same time pinch
the victim's nostrils shut or close with your cheek. Or close the
victim's mouth and place your mouth over the nose. Blow into the
victim's mouth or nose. (Air may be blown through the victim's
teeth, even if they are clenched). The first blowing method should
determine whether or not obstruction exists.

Remove your mouth, turn
your head to side and listen for the return rush of the air that
indicate air exchange. Repeat the blowing effort.

For the adult blow vigorously at a rate of about
12 breaths per minute. For a child, take relatively shallow breaths
appropriate for the child's size, at a rate of about 20 per minute.

If the victim is not
breathing out the air that you blew in, recheck the head and jaw
position. If you still do no get air exchange, quickly turn the
victim on his side and hit him sharply between the shoulder blades
several times in hope of dislodging foreign matter.

Again sweep you finger through the victim's mouth to remove
foreign matter.

If you do not wish to come in direct contact
with person, you may hold a cloth over the victim's mouth or nose
and breath through it. Cloth does not greatly affect the exchange
of air.

After giving two breaths which cause the chest to rise, attempt
to locate a pulse on the casualty. Feel for a pulse on the side of
the casualty's neck closest to you by placing the first two
fingers (index and middle fingers) of your hand on the groove
beside the casualty's Adam's apple (carotid pulse). (Your thumb should not be used for pulse taking because
you may confuse your pulse beat with that of the casualty.)
Maintain the airway by keeping your other hand on the casualty's
forehead. Allow 5 to 10 seconds to determine if there is a pulse
(See Figure).

If a pulse is found and the casualty is
breathing --STOP; allow the casualty to breathe on his own. If
possible, keep him warm and comfortable.

If a pulse is found and the casualty is not
breathing, continue rescue breathing.

If a pulse is not found, begin chest
compression.

Expose chest and find breast bone. Put the
heal of one hand on breast bone and other hand on top.

Compress the chest 15 times.

If a pulse is not found, seek medically
trained personnel for help.

For infants and small children

If there is any foreign matter visible in the victim's mouth, wipe it
quickly with your fingers or cloth wrapped around your fingers.

Place the child on his
back and use the fingers of both hands to lift the lower jaw from
beneath and behind, so that it juts out.

Place your mouth over the
child mouth and nose, making a relatively leak proof seal and
breathe into the child, using shallow puffs of air. The breathing
rate should be about 20/minute.

If you meet resistance in your blowing efforts,
recheck the position of the jaw. If the air passages are still
blocked, the child should be suspended momentarily by the ankles,
or inverted over the arm and given two or three sharp pats between
the shoulder blades, in the hope of dislodging obstructing matter.

Stopped
breathing due to Suffocation

After the person starts breathing give few doses of Camphor Q directly in mouth which
provides instant relief.

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